


Variations on a Theme of Kalicia

by randomizer



Category: The Good Wife (TV), The Good Wife RPF
Genre: 5 Times, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 14:56:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3941056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomizer/pseuds/randomizer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five ways we might have seen an in-canon goodbye scene between Alicia and Kalinda, and one way that never would have left the set.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Variations on a Theme of Kalicia

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know about the rest of you, but even without the drama of splitscreen!gate, I'm pretty unhappy with the perfunctory nature of the Alicia/Kalinda "bar scene" in 6.22. This fic is an attempt to write a few endings that might be a tiny bit more satisfactory, at least to me.

**1**

_Alicia:_ I thought you were gone.

 _Kalinda:_ I was.

 _Alicia:_ Charles Lester is asking about you. I don’t think it’s safe here.

 _Kalinda:_ It is for five minutes.  _(gestures at bartender, holding up two fingers)_ Tequila?

 _Alicia:_ You sure?

 _Kalinda:_ Yeah. For the road?

_(Alicia looks at her sadly, then nods.)_

_Kalinda:_ Did Grace give you my note?

 _Alicia: (looking away)._ She did. 

 _Kalinda:_ I meant it, Alicia. You wouldn’t have been happy as the State’s Attorney. You get to start over now.

_(Alicia shrugs and takes a shot.)_

_Kalinda:_ I’m serious, Alicia. Don’t you remember? Anything is you. Anything you want to be you, is you.

 _Alicia:_ When I read your note, all I wanted to have _was_ the chance to start over. All that anger, jealousy, everything else .  . . it just vanished. All I wanted was one more chance to sit in a bar and have drinks with you. Just like we . . . just like we used to.

 _Kalinda (eyes welling up):_ One more? _(Alicia nods)_

 _Kalinda:_ Alicia, I, uh, I don’t really . . . I’m not very good at talking, I never have been. But I do need to say this. My time with you, as your friend, was the best I ever had. And I’m sorry, um, I’m really sorry that things go messed up.

 _Alicia:_ It was my fault as much as it was yours. I just can’t seem to . . . I can’t let things go. I’m not even really talking to my son right now. 

 _Kalinda:_ Talk to him. You know you want to. _(Alicia nods.)_

 _Kalinda:_ I have to go.

 _Alicia:_ I’ll never see you again?

 _Kalinda:_ I don’t think so.

 _Alicia:_ Can’t we . . .

 _Kalinda (sadly):_ No. We can’t. 

 _Alicia:_ Stay safe. _(Kalinda nods, touches Alicia’s hand, and slips away forever.)_

 

**§§§**

**2**

_Alicia:_ I thought you were gone.

 _Kalinda:_ I was.

 _Alicia:_ Charles Lester is asking about you. I don’t think it’s safe here.

 _Kalinda:_ It is for five minutes.  _(gestures at bartender, holding up two fingers)_ Tequila?

 _Alicia:_ You sure?

 _Kalinda:_ Yeah. For the road?

_(Alicia nods, not taking her eyes off Kalinda.)_

_Kalinda:_ I left you a note, Alicia. You didn’t give it to Lester?

 _Alicia:_ I’m not giving it to him. 

 _Kalinda:_ It’s a confession. I left it in case anyone came after me. It gets you off the hook, Alicia. You need to give him the note.

_(Alicia shakes her head and takes a shot.)_

_Kalinda:_ I’m serious, Alicia. You need to give him the note.

 _Alicia:_ Kalinda, I know you think . . . I know I haven’t acted like your friend in years. But I know what you’ve done for me. I know that you’ve never stopped taking care of me. Now . . . now it’s time to stop. I want to take care of you, just one time, while I still can.

 _Kalinda (looks away and blinks, then looks back):_ One more? _(Alicia nods.)_

 _Kalinda:_ Alicia, I, uh, I don’t really . . . I’m not very good at talking, I never have been. But I do need to say this. It was never about guilt--I just . . . I liked you. I wanted to be with you.

 _Alicia (looking away):_ Thank you. Thank you for . . . for everything. I wouldn't have had a job without you.

 _Kalinda:_ I have to go.

 _Alicia:_ I’ll never see you again?

 _Kalinda:_ I don’t think so.

 _Alicia: (looking away):_ I don’t know how I’m going to do this without you. I’ve never had to before, not really.

 _Kalinda:_ I, um, . . . goodbye.

 _Alicia (grabs her hand and squeezes, then releases it):_ Bye.

  

**§§§**

**3**

_Alicia:_ I thought you were gone.

 _Kalinda:_ I was.

 _Alicia:_ Charles Lester is asking about you. I don’t think it’s safe here.

 _Kalinda:_ It is for five minutes.  _(gestures at bartender, holding up two fingers)_ Tequila?

 _Alicia:_ You sure?

 _Kalinda:_ Yeah. For the road?

_(Alicia smiles, then nods.)_

_Kalinda:_ I left you a note, Alicia. Did you read it?

 _Alicia:_ I  . . . yes. 

 _Kalinda:_ I meant it, Alicia. I just . . . I don’t know how to say how sorry I am, that things got so messed up between us. I just hope that someday . . .

_(Alicia looks away, and then looks directly into Kalinda’s eyes.)_

_Kalinda (looking down at her drink):_ If I had one do-over in my life, that would be it.

 _Alicia:_ Kalinda, listen to me. You’ve showed me you’re sorry in a hundred different ways, but I never have. _I’m_ sorry. I’m sorry I hung onto all that anger, that jealousy. It just . . . it doesn’t seem important now. It probably never was important, not really. _This_ is important--just sitting here, in a bar, having drinks, with you.

 _Kalinda (swallows hard):_ One more? _(Alicia nods.)_

 _Kalinda:_ Alicia, I, uh, I don’t really . . . I’m not very good at talking, I never have been. But I do need to say this. My time with you, as your friend, was the best I ever had. I just want you to know that.

 _Alicia:_ It was the best I ever had, too. I . . . I didn’t have real friends before you, and I haven’t had anyone since. I wish we had the chance to do it over again. _(clink glasses)_

 _Kalinda:_ I have to go.

 _Alicia:_ I’ll never see you again?

 _Kalinda:_ I don’t think so.

 _Alicia:_ Kalinda, I wish . . . I wish I hadn’t wasted all the time we _did_ have. _(She touches Kalinda softly on the shoulder.)_

 _Kalinda:_ I, um, I wish . . . goodbye.

 _Alicia (tears welling):_ Bye.

 

**§§§**

**4**

_Alicia:_ I thought you were gone.

 _Kalinda:_ I was.

 _Alicia:_ Charles Lester is asking about you. I don’t think it’s safe here.

 _Kalinda:_ It is for five minutes.  _(gestures at bartender, holding up two fingers.)_ Tequila?

 _Alicia:_ You sure?

 _Kalinda:_ Yeah. For the road?

_(Alicia chuckles softly.)_

_Kalinda:_ I left you a note, Alicia. Did you get it from Grace?

 _Alicia:_ I got it. 

 _Kalinda:_ I just don’t want you to think . . . I don’t know where things stand with you and Peter, and it’s not my business.  But I do know that he always loved you. It was never about not loving you enough.

_(Alicia shrugs and takes a shot.)_

_Kalinda:_ He . . . it was never about anything, not on his end.  I always wanted to tell you that.

 _Alicia:_ Kalinda . . . why did you do it? I always wanted to know. Was it . . . what made you do it?

 _Kalinda (glances away, then looks back):_ One more? _(Alicia nods)_

 _Kalinda:_ Alicia, I did . . . there was a reason, I’m just not sure anymore that it was a good one. Peter . . . Peter had dealings with my husband’s company . . . not exactly legal dealings. I needed to get away from Nick, to start over. And I just . . . it . . . 

 _Alicia:_ It was about getting away from Nick?

 _Kalinda_ : It was. Peter helped. But first, I . . .

_(Alicia nods, looks at Kalinda, and squeezes her hand. The two sit in silence for a moment.)_

_Kalinda:_ I have to go.

 _Alicia:_ I’ll never see you again?

 _Kalinda:_ I don’t think so.

 _Alicia:_ I can’t . . . I don’t . . . I’m really going to miss you.

 _Kalinda:_ I, um, I’ll always  . . . goodbye.

 _Alicia: (chokes on her response)_ Bye.

  

**§§§**

**5**

_Alicia:_ I thought you were gone.

 _Kalinda:_ I was.

 _Alicia:_ Charles Lester is asking about you. I don’t think it’s safe here.

 _Kalinda:_ It is for five minutes.  _(gestures at bartender, holding up two fingers)_ Tequila?

 _Alicia:_ You sure?

 _Kalinda:_ Yeah. For the road?

_(Alicia nods mutely, not taking her eyes off of Kalinda.)_

_Kalinda:_ I . . . just wanted to make sure that you got my note.

 _Alicia (nods, unable to speak)_  

 _Kalinda:_ I just . . . I just wanted you to know how I felt, how I’ve always felt.

_(Alicia downs a shot, looking away for the first time.)_

_Kalinda:_ I know it’s not going to make things better between us, but I couldn’t leave forever without telling you.

 _Alicia:_ Kalinda, when I found out about you and Peter . . . there was an instant when I was actually jealous of Peter, of all things. Because he got to . . . it didn’t make much sense, and it still doesn’t.  But it was almost as though you were the one cheating on me, not him.

 _Kalinda (smiles sadly):_ One more? _(Alicia nods)_

 _Kalinda:_ Alicia, I, uh, I don’t really . . . I’m not very good at talking, I never have been. But I do need to say this. I’m never going to forget you, ever.

 _Alicia:_ I’m never going to forget you, either.  I only wish . . .

 _Kalinda_ : I wish, too. _(They sit in silence for a beat.)_

 _Kalinda:_ I have to go.

 _Alicia:_ I wish I could go with you. Just leave . . . everything, and go with you.

 _Kalinda:_ But you can’t do that.

 _Alicia:_ No, I can’t. _(She turns toward Kalinda, reaches over, and hugs her tightly. They stay like that together for a moment before Kalinda pulls away.)_

 _Kalinda:_ I, um, . . . I love you, Alicia.

 _Alicia: (turns away, unable to speak, tears streaking down her face. When she looks back, Kalinda is gone.)_ I love you, too.

 

**§§§**

**0**

_Julianna (rolling her eyes):_ I thought you were gone.

 _Archie:_ I was. I’m back for the fans. Deal with it.

 _Julianna:_ It’s a little contrived, don’t you think?  How long are you going to milk these goodbye scenes?

 _Archie:_ We have a two-minute scene, and then you’ll never have to see me again. I would think a great, Emmy-winning actress like you could manage that.

 _Julianna:_ Whatever

 _Archie:_ Just drink your drink, and try to act as though you like me.

_(Julianna snorts, then gulps her tequila.)_

_Archie:_ It probably killed you to be so emotional over that note that Kalinda left you, didn’t it?

 _Julianna:_ Alicia wasn’t crying over Kalinda.  She barely gave her a thought. She was crying because the rest of her life was falling apart. 

 _Archie:_ Sure, keep telling yourself that. Maybe there are even some people out there who might buy it.

_(Julianna glares at her and takes another shot.)_

_Archie:_ You’ve never been able to understand Alicia and Kalinda, not ever. You’ve missed out.

 _Julianna (snorts):_ As I’ve said before, you find me one woman in the world who would pal around with someone who slept with her husband . . . well, I don’t know that woman. And besides, your character never really fit into the tone of the show, and I was sick and tired of her boots and her hair.

 _Archie:_ This scene isn’t over yet. We need another drink. _(Two shots of tequila appear in front of them.)_

 _Archie:_ Look, Jules---you went over the Kings’ heads when you complained about me to CBS. You won. But someday, somehow, everyone is going to know. And then all you’ll be is a fifty-year-old actress with a bad reputation.  Good luck with that.

 _Julianna:_ If you don’t adhere to that nondisclosure agreement of yours, _you’re_ the one who won’t be finding work anywhere. If you think you have any future in the business, think again.

 _Archie:_ I’m out of here. This is ridiculous.

 _Julianna:_ I’ll never see you again?

 _Archie:_ Definitely not.

 _Julianna:_ Good! _(storms away)._

 _Robert King:_ Cut! Look, I've had it--this is our eighteenth take of this scene. You two obviously can’t pull this off, no matter what you agreed to do. We’re moving to stand-ins and a splitscreen.  And if people notice, they notice. I’m washing my hands of this.

 

 


End file.
